Lipid-rich metabolome drives invasion success of sailfin catfish intergrades in polluted tropical river

Environmental metabolomics examines the metabolomic dynamics of organisms in ecosystems affected by contaminants. In this study, we profiled the gut mucosal metabolites of invasive sailfin catfish intergrades (between Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus and P. pardalis) (N = 5), denoted as A, B, C, D, and E, from the polluted Vaigai River, South India. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze the samples with a split ratio (20:1), a temperature program from 80 to 300 °C, and full-scan mass detection from 35 to 500 m/z. The analysis revealed 218 metabolites (90 common and 128 unique) belonging to 11 major chemical superclasses. Based on literature and database searches, 101 functional metabolites were identified and categorized into plant metabolites (20), pollutants (17), pheromones (15), specialized metabolites (8), and others. The profiled metabolites predominantly originated from algal sources (30). The higher presence of lipids and lipid-like molecules (n = 33) compared to other superclasses indicates their essential roles in detoxifying environmental contaminants. This study sheds light on the invasion success of sailfin catfish intergrades in the polluted Vaigai River, attributing it to their diverse lipid-based functional metabolites. Minimizing the sources of metabolite of this invasive species could offer valuable insights for developing effective management strategies.